The Explosives Thread

1: NITROGLYCERIN

Nitroglycerin was invented in 1867 by Italian chemist Ascanio Sobrero. The explosive was so volatile that a solution of it blew up in his face, and left him badly scarred. Until the invention of dynamite the following year, it was considered too unstable to use as a conventional explosive. Nitroglycerin is also used as a pharmaceutical drug to treat chest pain.

1.1: HOW TO MAKE NITROGLYCERIN

Nitroglycerin is extremely unstable and can explode from minute changes in temperature and from light friction. Do not attempt to make nitroglycerin unless you are very experienced in working with chemicals and explosives. Wear proper protective clothing and a gas mask.

1. Fill a 75-milliliter beaker to the 13ml. level, with fuming red nitric acid, of 98 percent concentration.
   
2. Place beaker in ice bath and allow to cool below room temperature.
   
3. After it is cooled, add to it three times the amount of fuming sulfuric acid (99 percent H2SO4). In other words, add to the now-cool fuming nitric acid 39 milliliters of fuming sulfuric acid. When mixing any acids, always do it slowly and carefully to avoid splattering.
   
4. When the two are mixed, lower their temperature, by adding more ice to the bath, to about 10 or 15 degrees Centigrade. This can be measured by using a mercury-operated Centigrade thermometer.
   
5. When the acid solution has cooled to the desired temperature, it is ready for the glycerin. The glycerin must be added in small amounts using a medicine dropper. Glycerin is added, slowly and carefully, until the entire surface of the acid is covered with it
   
6. This is a dangerous point, since the nitration will take place as soon as the glycerin is added. The nitration will produce heat, so the solution must be kept below 30 degrees C. If the solution should go above 30 degrees, the beaker should be taken out of the ice baths and the solution should be carefully poured directly into the ice bath, since this will prevent an explosion.
   
7. For about the first ten minutes of the nitration, the mixture should be gently stirred. In a normal reaction, the nitroglycerin will form as a layer on top of the acid solution, while the sulfuric acid will absorb the excess water.
   
8. After the nitration has taken place and the nitroglycerin has formed at the top of the solution, the entire beaker should be transferred very slowly and carefully to another beaker of water. When this is done, the nitroglycerin will settle to the bottom, so that most of the acid solution can be drained away.
   
9. After removing as much acid as possible without disturbing the nitroglycerin, remove the nitroglycerin with an eyedropper and place it in a bicarbonate of soda (soda bicarbonate) solution. The sodium bicarbonate is an alkali and will neutralize much of the acid remaining. This process should be repeated as many times as necessary using blue litmus paper to check for the presence of acid. The remaining acid only makes the nitroglycerin more unstable than it normally is.
   
10. The final step is to remove the nitroglycerin from the bicarbonate. This is done with an eye dropper, slowly and carefully. The usual test to see if nitration has been successful is to place one drop of the nitroglycerin on a metal plate and ignite it. If it is true nitroglycerin, it will burn with a clear blue flame. Caution: Nitroglycerin is extremely sensitive to decomposition, heating, dropping, or jarring, and may explode even if left undisturbed and cool. Know what you are doing before you do it.

2: DYNAMITE

Dynamite was invented in 1867 by Alfred Nobel, a student of Ascanio Sobrero. He discovered that soaking up nitroglycerin with clay or sawdust would render it much more stable and easier to use as a conventional explosive. Dynamite is usually packed into sticks 20cm long and 1cm in diameter, and detonated with a blasting cap (I will cover blasting caps in the appendix). Dynamite is not to be confused with trinitrotoluene (TNT).

2.1: FORMULAS FOR STRAIGHT DYNAMITE

"Straight dynamite" is the most primitive form of dynamite, which is simply nitroglycerin mixed with 1 or more stabilizing agents. The first dynamite used 3 parts nitroglycerin, 1 part diatomaceous earth (rock containing fossilized remains of diatoms, a hard-shelled algae) and a small amount of sodium carbonate. Some of the most common formulas for straight dynamite are as follows:

1	%	2	%	3	%	4	%	5	%	6	%	7	%	8	%	9	%	10	%
Nitroglycerin	32	Nitroglycerin	24	Nitroglycerin	35.5	Nitroglycerin	25	Nitroglycerin	57	Nitroglycerin	18	Nitroglycerin	26	Nitroglycerin	44	Nitroglycerin	24	Nitroglycerin	26
Sodium nitrate	28	Potassium nitrate	9	Potassium nitrate	45.5	Potassium nitrate	26	Potassium nitrate	19	Sodium nitrate	70	Woodmeal	40	Woodmeal	12	Potassium nitrate	42.5	Potassium nitrate	33
Woodmeal	10	Sodium nitrate	56	Woodmeal	6	Woodmeal	34	Woodmeal	9	Woodmeal	5.5	Barium nitrate	32	Anhydrous sodium sulfate	44	Woodmeal	35.5	Woodmeal	41
Ammonium oxalate	29	Woodmeal	9	Guncotton	2.5	Barium nitrate	5	Ammonium oxalate	12	Potassium chloride	4.5	Sodium carbonate	2			Ammonium oxalate	10
Guncotton	1	Ammonium oxalate	2	Vaseline	5.5	Starch	10	Guncotton	3	Chalk	12
				Powdered charcoal	6

11	%	12	%	13	%	14	%	15	%	16	%	17	%	18	%	19	%
Nitroglycerin	15	Nitroglycerin	35	Nitroglycerin	32	Nitroglycerin	33	Nitroglycerin	40	Nitroglycerin	47	Nitroglycerin	30	Nitroglycerin	50	Nitroglycerin	23
Sodium nitrate	62.9	Sodium nitrate	37	Potassium nitrate	27	Woodmeal	10.3	Sodium nitrate	45	Starch	50	Sodium nitrate	22.3	Sodium nitrate	32.6	Potassium nitrate	27.5
Woodmeal	21.2	Woodmeal	27	Woodmeal	10	Ammonium oxalate	27	Woodmeal	15	Guncotton	3	Woodmeal	40.5	Woodmeal	17	Woodmeal	37
Sodium carbonate	0.9	Ammonium oxalate	1	Ammonium oxalate	30	Guncotton	0.7					Potassium chloride	7.2	Ammonium oxalate	0.4	Ammonium oxalate	8
				Guncotton	1	Potassium perchloride	27									Barium nitrate	4
																Calcium carbonate	0.5

The percentage parts are always based on weight, not volume.

The main difference between straight dynamite and modern dynamite is the addition of ammonium nitrate. The presence of ammonium nitrate assures a greater explosive action, but less velocity. Modern dynamite is also the cheapest high explosive known to man.

3: TNT

Trinitrotoluene (TNT) is the most widespread modern explosive in the military and civilian market. Its massive power, coupled with its great stability, make it the obvious choice for demolitions, sabotage, and conventional warfare. Like dynamite, TNT is usually stored in sticks and detonated with an electrical blasting cap. TNT can be safely melted at 82 degrees Fahrenheit and poured into mortars or shells.

3.1: HOW TO MAKE TNT

1. Take two beakers. In the first, prepare a solution of 76 percent sulfuric acid, 23 percent nitric acid, and 1 percent water. In the other beaker, prepare another solution of 57 percent nitric acid and 43 percent sulfuric acid (percentages are on a weight ratio rather than volume).
   
2. Ten grams of the first solution are poured into an empty beaker and placed in an ice bath.
   
3. Add ten grams of touene, and stir for several minutes.
   
4. Remove this beaker from the ice bath and gently heat until it reaches 50 degrees C. The solution is stirred constantly while being heated.
   
5. Fifty additional grams of the acid, from the first beaker, are added and the temperature is allowed to rise to 55 degrees C. This temperature is held for the next ten minutes, and an oily liquid will begin to form on the top of the acid.
   
6. After 10 or 12 minutes, the acid solution is returned to the ice bath, and cooled to 45 degrees C. When reaching this temperature, the oily liquid will sink and collect at the bottom of the beaker. At this point, the remaining acid solution should be drawn off, by using a syringe.
   
7. Fifty more grams of the first acid solution are added to the oily liquid while the temperature is slowly being raised to 83 degrees C. After this temperature is reached, it is maintained for a full half hour.
   
8. At the end of this period, the solution is allowed to cool to 60 degrees C., and is held at this temperature for another full half hour. After this, the acid is again drawn off, leaving once more only the oily liquid at the bottom.
   
9. Thirty grams of sulfuric acid are added, while the oily liquid is gently heated to 80 degrees C. All temperature increases must be accomplished slowly and gently.
   
10. Once the desired temperature is reached, 30 grams of the second acid solution are added, and the temperature is raised from 80 degrees C. to 104 degrees C., and is held for three hours.
    
11. After this three-hour period, the mixture is lowered to 100 degrees C. and is held there for half an hour.
    
12. After this half hour, the oil is removed from the acid and washed with boiling water.
    
13. After the washing with boiling water, while being stirred contantly, the TNT will begin to solidify.
    
14. When the solidification has started, cold water is added to the beaker, so that the TNT will form into pellets. Once this is done, you have a good quality TNT.

Note: The temperatures used in the preparation of TNT are exact, and must be used as such. Do not estimate or use approximations. Buy a good centigrade thermometer.

4: OTHER HIGH EXPLOSIVES

High explosives are typically defined as powerful explosives used to demolish or sabotage. The following chemicals are often used in compounds containing TNT, or used in blasting caps and other detonation devices. For more information on compound formulas, consult an explosives handbook.

4.1: HOW TO MAKE TETRYL

1. A small amount of dimethyallaniline is dissolved in an excess amount of concentrated sulfuric acid.
   
2. This mixture is now added to an equal amount of nitric acid. The new mixture is kept in an ice bath, and is well stirred.
   
3. After about five minutes, the tetryl is filtered and then washed in cold water.
   
4. It is now boiled in fresh water, which contains a small amount of sodium bicorbonate. This process acts to neutralize any remaining acid. The washings are repeated as many times as neccesary according to the litmus-paper tests. When you are satisfied that the tetryl is free of acid, filter it fromt the water and allow it to dry. When tetryl is detonated, it reacts in very much the same way as TNT.

4.2: HOW TO MAKE PITRIC ACID

1. Phenol is melted and then mixed with a concentrated solution of sulfuric acid. The mixture in constantly stirred and kept at a steady temperature of 95 degrees C., for four to six hours, depending on the quantities of phenol used.
   
2. After this, the acid-phenol solution is diluted with distilled water, and an equal excess amount of nitric acid is added. The mixture of the nitric acid will cause an immediate reaction, which will produce heat, so the addition of the acid must be performed slowly, but more importantly the temperature of the solution must not go above 110 degrees C.
   
3. Ten or so minutes after the addition of the nitric acid, the pitric acid will be fully formed, and you can draw off the excess acid. It should be filtered and washed in the same manner as above, until the litmus paper tests should that there is little to no acid present. When washing, use only cold water. After this, the pitric acid should be allowed to partially dry.

4.3: HOW TO MAKE MERCURY FULMINATE

Method 1:

1. Take 5 grams of pure mercury and mix it with 35 ml. of nitric acid.
   
2. The mixture is slowly and gently heated. As soon as the solution bubbles and turns green, one knows that the silver mercury has dissolved.
   
3. After it is dissolved, the solution should be poured, slowly, into a small flask of ethyl alcohol. This will result in red fumes.
   
4. After a half hour or so, the red fumes will turn white, indicating that the process is nearing its final stage.
   
5. After a few minutes, add distilled water to the solution.

Method 2:

1. Mix one part mercuric oxide with ten parts ammonia solution. When ratios are described, they are always done according to weight rather than volume.
   
2. After waiting eight to ten days, one will see that the mercuric oxide has reacted with the ammonia solution to produce the white fulminate crystals.
   
3. These crystals must be handled in the way as the first method described, in that they must be washed many times and given several litmus paper tests.

4.4: HOW TO MAKE CHLORIDE OF AZODE

1. A quantity of chlorine gas is collected in a small glass beaker, and placed upside down on another glass beaker containing a water solution of ammonium nitrate.
   
2. Now the solution of ammonium nitrate is heated gently. While it is being heated, the surface of the solution will become oily, and finally small droplets will form and sink to the bottom of the beaker.
   
3. After this process is finished, remove the heat and drain off excess ammonium nitrate solution. The droplets that remain at the bottom of the beaker are chloride of azode of nitrochloride. Nitrochloride explodes violently when brought into contact with an open flame, or when exposed to temperatures above 212 degrees F.

4.5: HOW TO MAKE BLASTING GELATIN

1. Mix 92 parts nitroglycerin with 8 parts nitrocellulose or guncotton.
   
2. Pray.

5: LOW EXPLOSIVES

Low explosives are usually much more stable and much less powerful than high explosives. They are not intended for demolitions or sabotage purposes.

5.1: FORMULAS FOR BLACK POWDER

Black powder (gunpowder) has been used for centuries in guns and cannons. It is one of the oldest and commonly used low explosives. Black powder is extremely sensitive to sparks, and should not be kept around any metal. The following formulas are more powerful than normal potassium nitrate gunpowder.

1	%	2	%	3	%	4	%	5	%	6	%	7	%	8	%	9	%	10	%
Potassium perchlorate	69.2	Potassium chlorate	75	Potassium nitrate	70.4	Potassium nitrate	79	Potassium nitrate	64	Potassium nitrate	70.6	Potassium nitrate	50	Potassium nitrate	37.5	Barium nitrate	75	Guanadine nitrate	49
Sulfur	15.4	Charcoal	12.5	Sulfur	19.4	Sulfur	3	Sulfur	12	Sulfur	23.5	Ammonium perchlorate	25	Starch	37.5	Sulfur	12.5	Potassium nitrate	40
Charcoal	15.4	Sulfur	12.5	Sodium sulfate	10.2	Straw charcoal	18	Lamp black	7	Antimony sulfate	5.9	Sulfur	12.5	Sulfur	18.75	Charcoal	12.5	Charcoal	11
								Sawdust	17			Powdered willow charcoal	12.5	Antimony powder	6.25

11	%
Sodium peroxide	67
Sodium thiosulphate	33